# Metallica Fanboy vs Sandstone-Shadow



## Eifie

[size=+2]*Metallica Fanboy vs Sandstone-Shadow*[/size]



			
				Arena said:
			
		

> *Format:* 2v2
> *Style:* Set
> *DQ:* 1 month
> *Damage Cap:* 49%
> *Banned/Restricted Moves:* Direct recovery, Pain Split, any moves that instantly faint a battler (Explosion, OHKOs, Destiny Bond, Perish Song, etc.), Attract. Chills are restricted to 7 per Pokémon.
> *Arena:* Derelict Ship
> 
> I'm sure it must have been a cool arena that these two trainers must have originally been planning to fight in, if it was only accessible by boat. What a shame, then, that it turns out that a quick Metronome Battle doesn't really make for a good way to pass the time in a marine trip. Fortunately -- or, perhaps, disappointingly -- the ship is still standing; however, avoiding the increasingly distressful seas has ultimately led to it being rammed against the shallows. The crew has evacuated in an orderly fashion, using lifeboats efficiently enough that many were left on board... But instead of going home, the trainers suddenly the decided that the abandoned vessel actually made for one sick arena, too.
> 
> The fight will take place aboard a ship that lies trapped in shallow water, standing perfectly straight despite a gaping hole in the bottom of the hull. The battlers will begin from the upper deck, with access to the lower deck below via a flight of stairs, and then to the cargo hold via another, each taking about an action to climb down for a Pokémon of average speed and with adequate limbs for the motion. Of course, holes through the floor can work just as well as means of locomotion across the decks. It's also possible to take the fight all the way to the shallows, providing even a good chance to disturb the maritime wildlife (although it may furiously retaliate if sufficiently provoked -- you never know if there are Gyarados in the water!).
> 
> *Additional Rules:* Sleep will only be successfully induced once against each team (arena effects aren't affected by this restriction and don't trigger it).


*Metallica Fanboy's active squad*

 *Super Macho Man* the shiny male Machop <No Guard> @ Black Glasses
 *Earth Dragon* the male Shelgon <Rock Head> @ Life Orb
 *Fort* the male Shieldon <Sturdy> @ Jaboca Berry
 *Legal Alien* the male Elgyem <Synchronize> @ Twisted Spoon
 *Kanine West* the male Snubbull <Intimidate> @ Red Card
 *Reaper* the female Phantump <Harvest> @ Link Cable
 *Angriest TV Chef* the male Pansear <Gluttony> @ Fire Stone
 *Glorisus* the male Piplup <Defiant> @ Custap Berry
 *Country Eater* the female Phanpy <Pickup> @ Yache Berry
 *Taillte* the female Pichu <Static> @ Soothe Bell


*Sandstone-Shadow's active squad*

 *Horsea* the female Horsea <Swift Swim> @ Scope Lens
 *Bulbasaur* the female Bulbasaur <Overgrow> @ Shell Bell
 *Fennekin* the female Fennekin <Magician> @ Leftovers

*Command Order*

As previously agreed: MF sends out Indyelle a Pokémon, then Sandstone-Shadow sends out and posts commands, then MF posts commands.


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## M&F

Thanks for picking this up! And thanks for not taking the perfect opportunity to rename my entire active squad just in time for the altered names to be set in stone for the match.

Anyways, let's lead with *Reaper*.


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## Eifie

Metallica Fanboy said:


> And thanks for not taking the perfect opportunity to rename my entire active squad just in time for the altered names to be set in stone for the match.


_god fucking dammit_


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Seconding the thanks! Oh man, here we go. Good luck! :)

*Bulbasaur*, I choose you! Let's start right off with *Toxic* and then follow through with *Venoshock*. Then, since Reaper's holding an item, let's end with a *Knock Off*.

*Toxic ~ Venoshock ~ Knock Off*


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## M&F

Thanks, and likewise. Also, just in case this becomes necessary to anyone, this is me on the Question Box about the way Abilities Traced by a Link Cable behave.

Now then! First of all, Reaper -- Overgrow is flat useless to us right now and won't be much better later, so I need you to *drop that Link Cable* first of all so we won't have to eat full-power Knock Off later. That shouldn't take an action, though, so let's get down to what moves you're actually using this round.

Let's see... I could do the old "Protect against the move that matters most to their chain" routine, but... nah, that's a tedious way to fight. Still, we should avoid that boosted Venoshock, so let's *Phantom Force* across the first two actions -- vanish in the first, then come out in the second. After this... well, why don't we try something a little amusing? Toxic is only that much of a problem if the fight drags on, so, we make sure it goes faster, one way or another, by laying down a *Curse*. Quick, before I get less tired and realize what a terrible idea this probably is.

*Phantom Force (in; drop Link Cable) ~ Phantom Force (out) ~ Curse*


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## Eifie

*Round One*​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper*  @ Link Cable
*Ability*: Harvest, Trace (Overgrow)
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 100%
*Status*: Humming a little tune under her breath.

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 100%
*Status*: Basking under the light of the sun.

------------------------------​
The surface of the calm sea sparkles in a picturesque manner under the light of the setting sun. Nary a ripple disturbs the water around the base of the abandoned ship, perched exquisitely upon the edge of a random rock. The perfect scene for mass destruction... wait, is that a _hole_ already present in the hull? Is this a challenge?! Surely the brave people of Asber can inflict more damage than that...

And thus two Grass-types are sent out onto the upper decks of the ship to carry out the deed. Sandstone-Shadow's Bulbasaur promptly begins hacking up the contents of her lunch onto the wooden floor, the caustic chemicals of her favourite Durin Berries smoking ominously to burn a small hole in the floor. _Whoops_, she totally didn't mean a spit a wad of it at poor Reaper over there! So sorry, dude... The unfortunate Phantump squeaks in distress as the poisons eat a small hole through her tree bark mask and begin to absorb into her bloodstream. Chattering frantically, she waves her tiny arms about and then disappears with a loud _pop_ as she flees into another dimension, leaving only her Link Cable behind.

Bulbasaur stares at the abandoned item in front of her, nonplussed. Well, what's she supposed to do now? Destroy the ship?! Sandstone-Shadow, still unfamiliar with the ways of Asber, quickly cautions her not to destroy the ship. Metallica Fanboy and the referee roll their eyes in disgust.

Before a full-fledged debate on the history of Asberian thought can break out, a spooky light begins to shine faintly behind Bulbasaur, an eerie purple smoke drifting out of it as Reaper tears a hole in the fabric of space between dimensions. Bulbasaur turns her head sharply as a ghostly cackle echoes from seemingly nowhere, but she locates its source too late: the rematerialized Pumpkaboo tackles her hard from behind, shoving her face-first INTO HER OWN PUKE OMG TOO GROSS?! Bulbasaur cries out in agony as not only is her face smashed into the hard wood, but the smell of regurgitated Durin Berry floods her nostrils: clearly the worst punishment of all. Nose smarting from the variety of assaults upon it, Bulbasaur scrabbles frantically against the wood, dark energy surrounding her hind legs as she viciously kicks behind with all her strength. Having discarded her Link Cable, Reaper has nothing on her for Bulbasaur's claws to catch upon, but still lets out a shrill cry of pain as the dark energy tears through her wispy body.

Shaking, Reaper retreats all the way into her tree stump to plan her next move. Her eyeholes glow bright red as she mutters unintelligible curses under her breath. All is quiet for a moment, aside from the occasional gagging noise as Bulbasaur struggles to her feet. And then the silence is pierced by a wavering, unearthly scream. As Reaper falls limply to her side, Bulbasaur's vision suddenly wavers, and she begins to feel horribly ill...

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 44%
*Energy*: 90%
*Status*: Twitching slightly inside her tree stump. Toxic poisoned (2% this round, 3% next round).
*Used*: Phantom Force (disappear) ~ Phantom Force (reappear) ~ Curse

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 80%
*Energy*: 92%
*Status*: Not entirely sure what just happened to her... Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round).
*Used*: Toxic ~ nothing ~ Knock Off

*Arena Status*

 A Link Cable is lying randomly on the deck. One of its ends glints ominously in the light of the setting sun as it snakes its way around the base of the mast...

*Damage and Energy*

 Reaper's Health: 100% - 9% (Knock Off) - 45% (Curse) - 2% (poison) = 44%
 Reaper's Energy: 100% - 3% (Phantom Force) - 3% (Phantom Force) - 4% (Curse) = 90%
 Bulbasaur's Health: 100% - 15% (Phantom Force) + 2% (Shell Bell) - 7% (Curse) = 80%
 Bulbasaur's Energy: 100% - 3% (Toxic) - 5% (Knock Off) = 92%

*Notes*

 have not done ref for several months, pls excuse (lol I will think about how to actually write Curse next round, maybe)
 Speed order: Bulbasaur (45) > Reaper (38).
 Bulbasaur did nothing the second action, as she was clearly unable to reach her opponent.
 Phantom Force was a critical hit.
 For reference, all damage from Curse is rounded down, and it ignores damage caps. Because of the flooring, it doesn't actually matter that I ignored Reaper's poison damage until the end of the round in my calculations.
 *Metallica Fanboy* commands first.


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## M&F

Looking good so far! Now, let's take a little control and a little advantage of the terrain, shall we?

Lead with a snapping *Bulldoze*. If your first go of that doesn't reach your opponent, keep trying. We should have the Speed lead after a pop -- and if you can do this without missing out on the Speed drop, I'd like you to make sure you bang up the deck as much as possible with the move. Because we're Asberians, obviously, but also for a possible strategical edge.

Once you've landed your Bulldoze, we take advantage of your hovering and your ghostliness (or, if possible, your hovering and that Bulldozing arena damage). Try to *hover through the deck* -- phase through if you can, or just use a hole on the deck to get through. Either way, you can float just under the floorboards and our enemy can't, so that should give us at least a momentary lead. Once you're through, or straight away if you can't get through, we use *Psychic* power twice to attack from behind our improptu cover.

On the third action, if you're through the deck and you're going to use Psychic and the floor above is sufficiently banged up by the earlier Bulldozing, see if you can't Psychic that Bulbasaur through the upper deck and all the way down to the floorboards on the lower deck. That's gonna have to hurt a little more than the usual fare, to say the least.

*Bulldoze ~ Psychic(float into lower deck)/Bulldoze ~ Psychic(smash through upper deck/float into lower deck)/Bulldoze*


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Alright, Bulbasaur! Let's try this again - that was my fault, not yours. That Curse will speed things up a bit, so let's try to get some damage in.

You should be able to hit her this time, so let's try *Venoshock* again. If for some reason you can't hit her, brace for those Psychics with *Light Screen*. 

After this, Reaper's going to try to move underneath the floorboards. Assuming Bulldoze struck, she may be able to move faster than you, but try to set up a *Light Screen* (if you didn't use it before) while she's moving underneath the deck. Hopefully you can get one up before Psychic hits, if she's busy moving. If you used Light Screen in the first action, aim through a hole in the floor and hit her with a *Sludge Bomb*. If you don't have a clear shot, use *Confide* to lessen those Psychics a bit more - she should still be able to hear you, even if she's under the deck. 

We should really Protect to block that second Psychic and the fall through the floorboards, but if you've got a Light Screen in place by now, you should be okay - let's make use of that Shell Bell and deal a little more damage. Brace yourself as much as possible, then when you're on the lower deck, use *Sludge Bomb*. If Reaper wasn't able to get you through the floor, aim through a hole and use *Sludge Bomb* anyway; if you don't have a clear shot, use *Double Team* to reduce her under-the-floor advantage.

Don't give in, Bulbasaur!

*Venoshock/Light Screen ~ Light Screen (while Reaper's moving)/Sludge Bomb/Confide ~ Sludge Bomb/Double Team*


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## Eifie

*Round Two*​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 44%
*Energy*: 90%
*Status*: Twitching slightly inside her tree stump. Toxic poisoned (2% last round, 3% this round).

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 80%
*Energy*: 92%
*Status*: Not entirely sure what just happened to her... Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round).

------------------------------​
Struggling to ignore the high-pitched ghostly voices now echoing within her skull, Bulbasaur turns back to her opponent as the bulb on her back splits apart. A torrent of offensively-purple fluid spurts from it and showers upon Reaper's tree stump, rapidly eating through it to penetrate her skin. Reaper shrieks in agony as the venom interacts with the poisons already flooding her bloodstream, causing her to seize violently. She pounds her little branches on the floor of the deck, and a rippling shockwave of brown Ground-type energy spreads from the side of the impact. Small cracks appear in the floor as tremors run through it, tossing the helpless Bulbasaur up in the air and smacking her back down on the ground. She lands awkwardly on one of her hind legs with a sickening _crack_, and even when she shaking stops, Bulbasaur finds it difficult to get up, unable to put her weight on her injured leg.

Emerging from her stump at last, Reaper studies the floor thoughtfully. No, there's not enough room for her to get her tree stump through... the best she can do is reach out with psychic feelers to get a hold of Bulbasaur's brain, sending a wave of pure mental pain at her opponent's nerve receptors. Bulbasaur grits her teeth and digs her front claws into the wood, struggling against the pain to concentrate on setting up a protective barrier around herself. A cube of brilliant golden energy appears around her, and for a moment the force of her opponent's psychic assault lessens, and she breathes a sigh of relief. But just then her opponent happens to strike at a sensitive spot, and Bulbasaur cries out as she's unable to fully regroup her mental defenses. Desperately she releases another stream of sludge from the bulb on her back, this one thicker and more viscous, and Reaper is forced to halt her attack as the poison splatters over her, corroding away at her tree stump.

The Shell Bell around Bulbasaur's neck chimes as a bit of life energy flows from it into its owner, but its healing force pales against the voices in Bulbasaur's head that grow ever louder, sapping more of her life force away...

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 14%
*Energy*: 76%
*Status*: Exhausted already. But she hasn't wrought enough destruction yet! Toxic poisoned (3% this round, 4% next round).
*Used*: Bulldoze ~ Psychic ~ Psychic

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 54%
*Energy*: 78%
*Status*: Shaking her pounding head in agony. Protected by a Light Screen (4 more actions). Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _-1 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.
*Used*: Venoshock ~ Light Screen ~ Sludge Bomb

*Arena Status*

 A Link Cable is lying randomly on the deck. One of its ends glints ominously in the light of the setting sun as it snakes its way around the base of the mast...
 Both battlers are located on the upper deck.

*Damage and Energy*

 Reaper's Health: 44% - 16% (Venoshock) - 11% (Sludge Bomb) - 3% (poison) = 14%
 Reaper's Energy: 90% - 4% (Bulldoze) - 5% (Psychic) - 5% (Psychic) = 76%
 Bulbasaur's Health: 80% + 2% (Shell Bell) - 6% (Bulldoze) - 13% (Psychic) - 6% (Psychic) + 2% (Shell Bell) - 5% (Curse) = 54%
 Bulbasaur's Energy: 92% - 7% (Venoshock) - 1% (Light Screen set-up) - 5% (Sludge Bomb) - 1% (Light Screen upkeep) = 78%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Reaper (38) > Bulbasaur (30).
 lol I'm probably not going to remember how to write at any point during this battle, sorry
 Phantump's Attack stat is good for a basic, probably, but it's not even in the 50th percentile of all Rattata Pokémon, and Bulldoze was very much not a critical hit (rolled a 94), so Reaper was unable to destroy the deck enough to leave room to get through it. Her tree stump is also quite solid, which prevented her from phasing through the floor.
 The second Psychic lowered Bulbasaur's Special Defense.
 *Sandstone-Shadow* commands first.


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Good work, Bulbasaur! Almost there!

Let's give her another *Venoshock*. If you can't hit her, use *Amnesia* to boost yourself up a bit. 

For the second action, use *Venoshock* if you didn't hit her in the first action and you can hit her now. If you did hit her and she's still standing, use *Sludge*. Otherwise, use *Amnesia*. 

Do the same thing for the third action, but use *Growth* if you've already used Amnesia.

*Venoshock/Amnesia ~ Venoshock/Sludge/Amnesia ~ Venoshock/Sludge/Amnesia/Growth*


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## M&F

Hmmm. Dire, but since we're commanding second and have the Speed lead, we should be able to work through this.

Firstly, let's take a more direct approach to going under the deck. *Dig* down into it. Stay away from gaps on the deck above as much as you can once you're down there, we don't want any of that nasty stuff dripping down on us.

Once you're in, we'll try to *Psychic* that Bulbasaur up and way once more, but this time, I have a more esoteric destination in mind: toss her overboard. This will probably be difficult between the Light Screen and the Amnesia and the fact that you're not a Psychic-type, but all you need to do is push her off the ship. Take two actions on it if you need to.

If you still have an action at the end of the round, get as close as you can to any light filtering through the roof -- the hole you tore on your way in should do the trick if you can get there in time -- and *put that chlorophyll to work*. We'll need to keep this bout going in order to get as much out of the Curse as we can, and of course, there'd be no harm in preparing our final attack while we're at it.

*Dig (down) ~ Psychic (toss overboard) ~ Growth/Psychic (toss overboard)*


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## Eifie

*Round Three*​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 14%
*Energy*: 76%
*Status*: Exhausted already. But she hasn't wrought enough destruction yet! Toxic poisoned (3% last round, 4% this round).

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 54%
*Energy*: 78%
*Status*: Shaking her pounding head in agony. Protected by a Light Screen (4 more actions). Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _-1 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Destruction! There must be more destruction! Desperate to inflict an acceptable amount of destruction (otherwise Metallica Fanboy has promised to turn her into a frisbee), Reaper slams her stump straight down into the already-battered wooden floor of the deck. A few more heavy _thunk_s are enough to split a decently-sized hole in the ground which she easily slips through, falling face-first on the front of her stump. Oops. Scrabbling over to a corner where she can hide among the shadows, Reaper closes her eyes and extends a portion of her limited psychic powers, unleashing a wave of mental force at... well, she's not sure what, really. Some vague presence above that she sure hopes is her opponent, anyway.

Meanwhile, on the upper deck, Bulbasaur closes her eyes and obliviously basks in the sunlight, apparently having accepted that the battle has now ended. And now that it's over, who needs to remember how to knock away a foe's item? Not Bulbasaur! So she throws that knowledge out, dulling her mental faculties in order to prepare herself for any psychic assaults by her next foe. You know, she doesn't really need to know how to lock onto her opponent with mysterious psychic leaves, either... As Bulbasaur continues to refine her store of inner knowledge, she remains completely oblivious to the wave of psychic energy that goes rushing toward Reaper's discarded Link Cable, tangling it up even tighter around the ship's mast.

Unfortunately for Bulbasaur, the battle is far from actually over. A second blast of psychic energy explodes from below, probably very impressive at first, before it weakens as it passes through her Light Screen and even more as it passes through her now half-empty brain. Bulbasaur only feels a faint annoying tingle of psychic power in her brain, but that's still too much. She must forget more! Why does she need physical brute force, anyway? An amateur trick.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 10%
*Energy*: 64%
*Status*: Getting kind of bored down there... did her attacks even hit? Toxic poisoned (4% this round, 5% next round).
*Used*: Dig (down) ~ Psychic (missed) ~ Psychic

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 45%
*Energy*: 69%
*Status*: _Who needs to remember who their trainer is, anyway?_ Knock Off, Magical Leaf, Take Down forgotten. Protected by a Light Screen (1 more action). Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _+5 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.
*Used*: Amnesia ~ Amnesia ~ Amnesia

*Arena Status*

 A Link Cable is twisted tightly around the ship's mast. The tension in the wire is visible as it struggles for dominance...
 Bulbasaur and the Link Cable are located on the upper deck. Reaper is on the lower deck.

*Damage and Energy*

 Reaper's Health: 14% - 4% (poison) = 10%
 Reaper's Energy: 76% - 2% (Dig (down)) - 5% (Psychic) - 5% (Psychic) = 64%
 Bulbasaur's Health: 54% - 4% (Psychic) - 5% (Curse) = 45%
 Bulbasaur's Energy: 78% - 2% (Amnesia) - 2% (Amnesia) - 2% (Amnesia) - 3% (Light Screen upkeep) = 69%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Reaper (38) > Bulbasaur (30).
 From using Amnesia, Bulbasaur forgot, in order, Knock Off, Magical Leaf, and Take Down.
 On the third action, Bulbasaur was given four conditionals (the maximum allowed amount is three), so the move she used was randomized out of those choices. I am a dumb and remembered this only until I actually resolved the third action, and also misread Sandstone-Shadow's commands anyway, but thankfully she rolled to use Amnesia anyway so I don't have to rewrite anything. Ehe...
 Psychic is still a vision-based attack, as it doesn't ignore Double Team clones. I cut the accuracy down to 50% instead of making it certain to miss entirely only because I'm pretty sure there is precedent for the Pokémon somehow being able to ~sense~ its opponent. (I personally don't buy it.)
 With the heavily reduced accuracy, Bulbasaur's Light Screen and buffed Special Defense, the fact that Reaper is neither a Psychic-type nor an especially strong special attacker, and the fact that she would have no idea where Bulbasaur was in relation to the edge of the ship (which does have a rail, by the way, so it's less pushing and more tossing over it), throwing Bulbasaur off the ship from belowdeck was a no-go.
 MF are you testing me... I assure you I am quite competent >:(
 *Metallica Fanboy* commands first.


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## M&F

Eifie said:


> MF are you testing me... I assure you I am quite competent >:(


Nah, I'm just doing a lot of things just for the hell of it.

But hey, just this round, let's play properly, even if it's in a boring way. Being that right now stalling will be a net positive for us, we might as well play the long game for most of the round. Let's take advantage of all the space and stay where the darkness makes you hard to see, while also *Double Team*ing up a little extra obfuscation. Hopefully, in those two actions, our opponent won't be able to land a hit, even if she manages to attack through the deck. Speaking of, if you see her digging into the lower deck herself, *Dig* for the cargo hold in the second action.

For a wrap, try to wait for her move, then bring the *Phantom Force* back to action, although in only one action this time -- you might have to get close to her position in order to pull it off pinpoint, but hopefully, reappering into the necessary surface won't be an issue. Do make as much sure as you can to move after her, even if you end up not managing to pull off the move at all or if you end up having to finish it in the next round instead.

*Double Team (max clones) ~ Double Team (max clones)/Dig (down) ~ Phantom Force (wait)*


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Eifie said:


> [*] On the third action, Bulbasaur was given four conditionals (the maximum allowed amount is three), so the move she used was randomized out of those choices.


Ohh I did not realize that, that makes sense! 

Well Bulbasaur. Reaper's going to try to drag this out, and we really don't want that. Let's do something about that. Use *Swagger*; let's get her so angry that she damages herself, since we can't easily reach her.

Repeat Swagger if it wasn't successful in the first action; if Swagger was successful, use *Sunny Day*.

Next, charge up a *Solar Beam*. (Spend the extra energy to use it in one action if you have to, but I don't think you'll need to if you pulled off Sunny Day.) Use it to blast as many holes in the deck as possible - we want light down there so we can see Reaper. The more you spread it around, the more you might be able to hit Reaper below the deck, as well. She'll be waiting for you to move, so maybe you can catch her. But focus on breaking the deck first.

*Swagger ~ Sunny Day/Swagger ~ Solar Beam (one action)*


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## Eifie

*Round Four*​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 10%
*Energy*: 64%
*Status*: Getting kind of bored down there... did her attacks even hit? Toxic poisoned (4% last round, 5% this round).

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 45%
*Energy*: 69%
*Status*: _Who needs to remember who their trainer is, anyway?_ Knock Off, Magical Leaf, Take Down forgotten. Protected by a Light Screen (1 more action). Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _+5 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Sitting around on the lower deck is making Reaper feel kind of antsy. Pushing herself up off the floor, she begins to zoom around the spacious interior, grumbling at her trunk as it slows her down. Despite this setback, she manages to move fast enough that three identical Phantump leap out of the shadows behind her, but that's just not enough for Reaper. After a brief rest, as the voice of her opponent echoes from above (Reaper doesn't really care what she's saying), the Phantump gets moving again, her three clones behind her, and manages to whip up three more.

Meanwhile, on the upper deck, Bulbasaur's wandered over to the hole in the ground and begun screaming her lungs out at... who knows what, really. She puts as much vitriol as she can into her words, attempting to really set her opponent off, but there's no response. She sits back for a second to rest her voice as her Light Screen finally fades away, and then attempts to start up again, but manages to _choke on her own saliva_? How embarrassing. The deck below is eerily silent as Bulbasaur attempts to recover from her sudden coughing fit...

Shrugging, Bulbasaur trots over to a higher point on the deck, the better to see the setting sun, and closes her eyes to concentrate as she harnesses the power of the sun's rays. The bulb on her back glows brighter and brighter until she can take it no more, and unleashes a blinding ray of sunlight from her bulb straight at the floor of the deck. The force of the impact nearly knocks her backward, but she grits her teeth and digs her claws into the floor, sweeping the beam forward so that it burns in a long line through the wooden panels. Bits of wood fall through to the lower deck with a loud clatter, and as Bulbasaur's reservoir of solar energy is finally exhausted, all she can do is hope that something fell on her opponent.

Alas, she finds herself not so lucky. At that moment the air behind her cools ominously, and a familiar feeling of dread tingles along her spine. This time, not one but _seven_ Reapers claw their way out of a dark void in the space behind her, viciously assaulting Bulbasaur with their branches. Bulbasaur cries out and desperately attempts to shield her face as the Reapers, cackling gleefully, thump her over the head one more time for good measure and then retreat to surround the ship's mast.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 5%
*Energy*: 49%
*Status*: Not feeling nearly as thrilled as she's pretending. Has 6 clones. Toxic poisoned (5% this round, 6% next round).
*Used*: Double Team (3 clones) ~ Double Team (3 clones) ~ Phantom Force

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 33%
*Energy*: 51%
*Status*: Kind of embarrassed at how this round went. Hopefully nobody will read it. Overgrow activated. Knock Off, Magical Leaf, Take Down forgotten. Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _+5 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.
*Used*: Swagger (missed) ~ Swagger (missed) ~ Solar Beam @ floor

*Arena Status*

 A Link Cable is twisted tightly around the ship's mast. The tension in the wire is visible as it struggles for dominance...
 Bulbasaur, Reaper, and the Link Cable are located on the upper deck.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Reaper's Health: 10% - 5% (poison) = 5%
 Reaper's Energy: 64% - 3% (Double Team) - 3% (Double Team) - 9% (Phantom Force) = 49%
 Bulbasaur's Health: 45% + 2% (Shell Bell) - 11% (Phantom Force) - 3% (Curse) = 33%
 Bulbasaur's Energy: 69% - 4% (Swagger) - 4% (Swagger) - 9% (Solar Beam) - 1% (Light Screen upkeep) = 51%

*Notes*

 srsly what was I even supposed to write for this round. please don't read it, have I mentioned lately how much I actually hate writing lmao
 Speed order: Reaper (38) > Bulbasaur (30).
 I can never remember what multiplier I actually use for Double Team, so let's just make it division by 12.5, rounded down.
 Swagger isn't actually a sound-based move (since it doesn't bypass Substitute), and also doesn't ignore clones, which I interpret as the Pokémon just looking so ridiculous aiming its bluster at some random clone that the real thing is totally unaffected. Along those lines, Swagger is unfortunately going to be completely ineffective when used from the top deck while Reaper's on the lower one, even if no clones are present. (The second Swagger was actually a miss regardless.)
 Bulbasaur's Light Screen wore off after the first action.
 Two-action moves condensed into one action take a while to pull off, such that the actual unleashing the attack happens at lower priority. Of course, this applied to both Reaper and Bulbasaur, but from the lower deck Reaper wasn't really able to see what Bulbasaur was doing, so she waited a while (during which time Bulbasaur was charging up her Solar Beam), then disappeared, then Bulbasaur unleashed Solar Beam at the deck, and then Reaper attacked.
 The damage from Curse triggered Bulbasaur's Overgrow.
 *Sandstone-Shadow* commands first.


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

Do I get Shell Bell credit for Solar Beam, then, even though I damaged the deck and not an opponent? (Just wanted to make sure I'm actually supposed to get that!)

Hey Bulbasaur, we did some damage to the deck! Cool! We are learning some of the ways of ASB, I think. Maybe not all of the ways yet. But we're getting somewhere.

It doesn't look like Reaper's going to survive this round. Let's start with *Sunny Day* and use another *Solar Beam*, this time to sweep around the deck (or under the deck, if she moves down there) and eliminate the clones. We want to see the real Reaper; it's okay if it doesn't do much damage. (If you can't hit her, use *Growth*.)

Then, since we've got Overgrow activated, use *Giga Drain*. It won't do much, but we don't need very much. If you can't hit her, use *Growth*.

*Sunny Day ~ Solar Beam/Growth ~ Giga Drain/Growth*


----------



## Eifie

Sandstone-Shadow said:


> Do I get Shell Bell credit for Solar Beam, then, even though I damaged the deck and not an opponent? (Just wanted to make sure I'm actually supposed to get that!)


Yes. The description says health is regained upon successful use of a damaging attack, so it doesn't even have to hit its actual target, anyway.


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

Eifie said:


> Yes. The description says health is regained upon successful use of a damaging attack, so it doesn't even have to hit its actual target, anyway.


Good to know. Thanks!


----------



## M&F

Beautiful hustle out there, Reaper. Pity you're not making it past this round, but we can leave a mark before it's done.

*Facade ~ Protect ~ Facade*

would've been more interesting if I could Grudge the hell out of that Solarbeam, but eh, the odds of that Giga Drain landing are going to be too low


----------



## Eifie

*Round Five*​
*Metallica Fanboy* (2/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 5%
*Energy*: 49%
*Status*: Not feeling nearly as thrilled as she's pretending. Has 6 clones. Toxic poisoned (5% last round, 6% this round).

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 33%
*Energy*: 51%
*Status*: Kind of embarrassed at how this round went. Hopefully nobody will read it. Overgrow activated. Knock Off, Magical Leaf, Take Down forgotten. Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _+5 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Screeching in pain from the poisons now violently coursing through her system, Reaper launches herself forward at her foe, accompanied by her six clones, and FRICKIN' BEATS HER UP WITH FRICKIN' BRANCHES AND SHIT. Yeah, you take that, you gross... poisoner! So gross. Clearly hurt and despairing from this sentiment, the battered and bruised Bulbasaur backs away with a sharp cry to the horizon. The rapidly darkening skies above instantly lighten as the few clouds in sight rush away and the sun emerges from behind them, its heat radiating down stronger than before.

Bolstered by the increased sunlight, Bulbasaur prepares to absorb more solar energy into her bulb, but just then she notices the light glinting off a nearly-transparent bubble that surrounds her opponents. The seven Reapers cower within it, suddenly panting and apparently very near the end of their collective rope. With a shrug, Bulbasaur resigns herself to simply basking in the sunlight, a few flowers blooming beautifully from the bulb on her back to fill her with renewed strength and energy. And then the Reapers let their bubble down and comes rushing toward her again, screaming senselessly as they slam their branches down upon Bulbasaur's head once more. Startled, Bulbasaur launches one of her vines toward the nearest one, attempting to tap into its life force, but the Phantump simply disappears with an eerie cackle that its comrades soon take up. Until one starts coughing uncontrollably, and then another, and another. Five of the Reapers pop out of existence as the original falls to her side on the ground, twitching madly as the poisons work their magic upon her system. She struggles to reach out a branch toward her foe (probably to beat her up one last time), but at last the light in her eyeholes goes out and she lies still, unconscious.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy* (1/2 left)

*Reaper* 
*Ability*: Harvest
*Health*: 0%
*Energy*: 31%
*Status*: Knocked out!
*Used*: Facade ~ Protect ~ Facade

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 6%
*Energy*: 37%
*Status*: Relieved, but somewhat unsettled... Overgrow activated. Knock Off, Magical Leaf, Take Down forgotten. Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _+2 Attack, +2 Special Attack, +5 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.
*Used*: Sunny Day ~ Growth ~ Giga Drain (hit clone)

*Arena Status*

 The sun is shining brightly (7 more actions).
 Bulbasaur is on the upper deck.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Reaper's Health: 5% - 6% (poison) = 0%
 Reaper's Energy: 49% - 8% (Facade) - 2% (Protect) - 8% (Facade) = 31%
 Bulbasaur's Health: 33% - 14% (Facade) - 14% (Facade) + 2% (Shell Bell) - 1% (Curse) = 6%
 Bulbasaur's Energy: 51% - 5% (Sunny Day) - 4% (Growth) - 5% (Giga Drain) = 37%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Bulbasaur (30) stands alone.
 *Metallica Fanboy* sends out and commands first.


----------



## M&F

Let's go, *Glorisus*. Beautiful day, isn't it? Perfect for incidentally turning the tables on the starter triangle. Just *Pluck* a leaf or two or three and be merry.

*Pluck ~ Pluck ~ Pluck*

This is going to be wonderful. I get both evolutions, my opponent gets to evolve the Bulbasaur too, _and_ I still have a good reason (EXPwise) to go all out in the next bout.


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

Nice job, Bulbasaur! We won't get our attacks in; Glorisus is faster than you right now and that Pluck is going to take us out. 

But see if you can get in a *Solar Beam*, at least for show!

*Solar Beam ~ Solar Beam ~ Solar Beam*


----------



## Eifie

*Round Six*​
*Metallica Fanboy* (1/2 left)

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 100%
*Status*: Looming gloriously??

*Sandstone-Shadow* (2/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 6%
*Energy*: 37%
*Status*: Relieved, but somewhat unsettled... Overgrow activated. Knock Off, Magical Leaf, Take Down forgotten. Cursed (loses one-tenth of current health at the end of each round). _+2 Attack, +2 Special Attack, +5 Special Defense, -1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Nobody knows what makes Glorisus so fuckin' glorious, but indeed he is, as he poses gloriously on the deck... probably. Bulbasaur is so taken aback by this sight that she momentarily hesitates, and Glorisus takes this moment to casually pluck the piranha flower from her bulb. Whoops! Who knew that was the source of all Bulbasaurian life?

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy* (1/2 left)

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 97%
*Status*: Jauntily holding a tiny piranha plant in his beak.
*Used*: Pluck

*Sandstone-Shadow* (1/2 left)

*Bulbasaur*  @ Shell Bell
*Ability*: Overgrow
*Health*: 0%
*Energy*: 37%
*Status*: Knocked out!
*Used*: nothing

*Arena Status*

 The sun is shining brightly (6 more actions).
 Glorisus is on the upper deck.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 100%
 Glorisus's Energy: 100% - 3% (Pluck) = 97%
 Bulbasaur's Health: 6% - 9% (Pluck) = 0%
 Bulbasaur's Energy: 37%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Glorisus (40) stands alone.
 Did you know I'm going to get paid $10 for this?
 *Sandstone-Shadow* sends out and commands first.


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

Alright, let's go, *Horsea*! 

We'll be air-swimming for now, unless that's a problem, in which case *jump over the side into the water.* For that matter, if at any point Glorisus jumps into the water (or moves to the lower deck), *follow him.*

Provided none of that is an issue, let's get this started. Let's start up with a *Headbutt*, then *Dragon Breath* when you're still close to him. I guess *Dragon Breath* again, since I'm uncreative.

If at any point you can't hit him, use *Dragon Dance* instead.

*Headbutt/Dragon Dance/jump overboard ~ Dragon Breath/Dragon Dance/follow Glorisus ~ Dragon Breath/Dragon Dance/follow Glorisus*


----------



## M&F

Hmmm... That's rather unpleasantly many risks we're facing here. Let's try to attenuate them somewhat with a *15% Substitute*. Keep trying to set one up if you don't at first succeed. Once you have a Substitute, we'll stay on the defensive with *Captivate* and an *Aqua Ring* (or just a Captivate if you've needed two actions on that Substitute).

If the Horsea is overboard on the second action, see if you can trap her in a *Whirlpool* from all the way up there, and either way, just Aqua Ring as usual in the third action. Setting up that Substitute is still the priority, though.

*15% Substitute ~ Captivate/15% Substitute/Whirlpool ~ Aqua Ring/Captivate/15% Substitute*


----------



## Eifie

*Round Seven*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 97%
*Status*: Jauntily holding a tiny piranha plant in his beak.

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 100%
*Status*: Airswimming adorably.

------------------------------​
Horsea gasps as she floats down onto the deck to see her opponent HOLDING A SEVERED PIRANHA PLANT IN HIS BEAK?? Was that his last victim? Is she going to be next?! Never! Obstinately she lowers her head and rams it forward into Glorisus's stomach, and the Piplup stumbles backward, startled. The plant falls out of his beak as he cries out, and a white substance begins oozing from its mouth. The goop piles upon itself to form a squishy off-white replica that truly pales next to the One True Glorisus... but it will do. Satisfied, Glorisus leans down and picks up his tiny piranha plant again, and gives the Substitute a quick tap with his beak to breathe some of his life energy into it.

A couple of feet away, Horsea too exhales some of her energy, in the form of a glittering stream of wind laced with particles of green draconic energy from her snout. The Substitute lets off a foul black smoke as the noxious chemicals from her breath react with the goop making up its body, leaving a gaping hole in its chest. And through the hole... Horsea sees her opponent striking a dashing pose, dead piranha plant positioned just so in his beak. The air around him SPARKLES GLORIOUSLY, and Horsea finds herself blushing. What must such a Dashing Wanderer think of her rancid breath? Perhaps she should hold back... And so the second time she exhales she does so with less force, the bright green Dragon-type energy eating a smaller hole through the Substitute's right fin. Glorisus does his best to hide his displeasure, waving his piranha plant about like a nozzle from which a small stream of glittering water flows. The water droplets condense into two glittering rings around his body, the moisture breathing fresh life into his skin.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 79%
*Energy*: 83%
*Status*: SPARKLING GLORIOUSLY. Has a 5% Substitute. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).
*Used*: Substitute (15%) ~ Captivate ~ Aqua Ring

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 87%
*Status*: Utterly captivated by this breathtaking sight. _-2 Special Attack_.
*Used*: Headbutt ~ Dragon Breath ~ Dragon Breath

*Arena Status*

 The sun is shining brightly (3 more actions).
 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 100% - 7% (Headbutt) - 15% (Substitute) + 1% (Aqua Ring) = 79%
 Glorisus's Substitute: 15% - 6% (Dragon Breath) - 4% (Dragon Breath) = 5%
 Glorisus's Energy: 97% - 8% (Substitute) - 2% (Captivate) - 4% (Aqua Ring) = 83%
 Horsea's Health: 100%
 Horsea's Energy: 100% - 5% (Headbutt) - 4% (Dragon Breath) - 4% (Dragon Breath) = 87%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Horsea (60) > Glorisus (40).
 *Metallica Fanboy* commands first.


----------



## M&F

Good work, Glorisus. Now we attack -- but first, take it from the top with *Stealth Rock*. Follow up with *Secret Power*, and then, *Headbutt* if she's paralyzed, *Drill Peck* otherwise. In the second and third actions, if you've been poisoned or paralyzed, ignore the previoulsy mentioned conditionals and use *Facade*. In the second action, if your Accuracy has been lowered or there are Double Team clones, ignore other conditionals and use *Aerial Ace*.

*Stealth Rock ~ Secret Power/Facade/Aerial Ace ~ Headbutt/Drill Peck/Facade*


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

Alright, Horsea! (I promise to give you a nickname after this battle...) Let's get rid of that Substitute with *Headbutt*. Then, let's avoid that Secret Power; watch out for those Stealth Rocks and use *Bounce*. If for some reason you're not able to use Bounce, use *Dragon Dance*.

*Headbutt ~ Bounce (up)/Dragon Dance ~ Bounce (down)/Dragon Dance*


----------



## Eifie

*Round Eight*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 79%
*Energy*: 83%
*Status*: SPARKLING GLORIOUSLY. Has a 5% Substitute. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 100%
*Energy*: 87%
*Status*: Utterly captivated by this breathtaking sight. _-2 Special Attack_.

------------------------------​
Resolving to keep her bad breath to herself for now, Horsea rams her head forward again, this time into Glorisus's Substitute. She makes contact with a sickening _squelch_ sound, and the Substitute shudders before collapsing into a pile of goo that begins to drip slowly through the wooden planks onto the deck below. The Dashing Wanderer is unfazed. Again striking his dapper pose, he twitches his beak, and his piranha plant spits out a series of small shards of jagged rock. The rocks, floating strangely in the air, move to circle around Horsea, and she watches them warily.

With a gulp Horsea springs up from the ground, vaulting high up into the air just in time to avoid a beam of bright white light hurriedly fired from the mouth of the piranha plant in Glorisus's mouth. Oh my god who knew she could jump this high?? Maybe she should have thought this through... Horsea screws her eyes shut as visions of her being dashed to pieces against the Stealth Rocks flash through her brain, and gravity drags her forcibly back to earth despite her childhood dreams of sustained flight. Glorisus watches helplessly as 17.6 pounds of adorable seahorse come crashing down onto him, sending both battlers sprawling.

All is silent for a moment as the Pokémon lie motionless, face-planted onto the surface of the deck. Groaning, Glorisus pushes himself to his feet, leaving behind the crushed piranha plant that he shield with his very body. His beak feels quite empty as he drives it forcefully into his opponent's side, and she squeals with pain as above, the sunlight begins to fade away.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 74%
*Energy*: 72%
*Status*: Mourning his poor crushed piranha plant. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).
*Used*: Stealth Rock ~ Secret Power (miss) ~ Drill Peck

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 92%
*Energy*: 75%
*Status*: Her poor snout... she smashed it against the deck... _-2 Special Attack_.
*Used*: Headbutt ~ Bounce (up) ~ Bounce (down)

*Arena Status*

 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 A ring of Stealth Rocks is floating a couple of feet away from the battlers.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 79% - 8% (Bounce) + 3% (Aqua Ring) = 74%
 Glorisus's Substitute: 5% - 7% (Headbutt) = 0%
 Glorisus's Energy: 83% - 2% (Stealth Rock) - 5% (Secret Power) - 4% (Drill Peck) = 72%
 Horsea's Health: 100% - 8% (Drill Peck) = 92%
 Horsea's Energy: 87% - 5% (Headbutt) - 3% (Bounce (up)) - 4% (Bounce (down)) = 75%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Horsea (60) > Glorisus (40).
 for Christmas I give you this shitty reffing
 just kidding I put it off until the 26th
 Headbutt destroyed Glorisus's Substitute.
 Glorisus attempted to use Secret Power because he thought he might have a chance of reaching Horsea on her way up. (He didn't.)
 tbh I have no idea how to Stealth Rock. When Horsea bounced down onto Glorisus I rolled for whether or not the force of landing would push her back into the rocks or in another direction, I guess. (She landed fine.)
 The sunlight faded at the end of the round.
 *Sandstone-Shadow* commands first.


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

Nice work, Horsea! Keep it up - so far, so good. Let's up the power of our Scope Lens a bit and start off with *Focus Energy*. Follow through in the second action with a *Headbutt*, or a *Facade* if you're paralyzed. If you can't hit him, use *Dragon Dance*. Finally, in the third action, use *Dragon Dance* if you haven't already or you can't hit him; otherwise use *Headbutt*.

*Focus Energy ~ Headbutt/Facade/Dragon Dance ~ Dragon Dance/Headbutt*


----------



## M&F

Hmmm. Let's just attack while keeping their setup at bay.

*Feather Dance ~ Rock Tomb ~ Drill Peck*


----------



## Eifie

*Round Nine*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 74%
*Energy*: 72%
*Status*: Mourning his poor crushed piranha plant. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 92%
*Energy*: 75%
*Status*: Her poor snout... she smashed it against the deck... _-2 Special Attack_.

------------------------------​
Horsea's snout extends back to its full length with a comical _pop_ as she peels her face off the deck. Grumbling to herself, she stares hard at the end of her nose, going cross-eyed as she concentrates on heightening her senses so as not to make the same stupid mistake again. Why does she need to throw herself at that Dashing Wanderer, anyway? He's not _that_ dashing!

Glorisus chooses this moment to spontaneously shed an enormous mass of down right onto Horsea's face. _Gross_. Horsea coughs and splutters and spits some feathers out of her mouth as she turns to glare at her opponent, but the itchy feathers impede her movement as she rams her head into him a third time. The feathers aren't enough to stop her, though! Glorisus gasps and flinches in pain as she slams right into his stomach, and has to take a short moment to catch his breath.

Now feeling a bit more cheerful, Horsea begins humming to herself as she twists and twirls in practiced motions, a green glow of draconic energy surrounding her body as she dances. Her movements shed some of the feathers coating her body, and she feels sleeker and swifter as the blessing of her ancient Kingdra forefathers fills her with strength. Glorisus will have none of this, for _he_ is the one who is truly glorious! And thus he must assert his dominance by pecking Horsea sternly in the side. Yes, that'll show her!

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 72%
*Energy*: 66%
*Status*: A little miffed at his screw-up. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).
*Used*: Feather Dance ~ [flinch] ~ Drill Peck

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 84%
*Energy*: 63%
*Status*: Still covered in feathers. Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.
*Used*: Focus Energy ~ Headbutt ~ Dragon Dance

*Arena Status*

 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 A ring of Stealth Rocks is floating a couple of feet away from the battlers.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 74% - 5% (Headbutt) + 3% (Aqua Ring) = 72%
 Glorisus's Energy: 72% - 2% (Feather Dance) - 4% (Drill Peck) = 66%
 Horsea's Health: 92% - 8% (Drill Peck) = 84%
 Horsea's Energy: 75% - 5% (Focus Energy) - 5% (Headbutt) - 2% (Dragon Dance) = 63%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Horsea (90) > Glorisus (40).
 Focus Energy is supposed to lessen the effects of moves which affect the mind, which includes Captivate. I'm not sure if this is only supposed to happen if that's specifically commanded with the use of the move, but I don't think it's necessary, so some of the Special Attack drop from Captivate was nullified.
 Headbutt made Glorisus flinch.
 *Metallica Fanboy* commands first.


----------



## M&F

Well, that flinch was hardly unexpected. We've still dished out more than we've taken. Now we've got to stay on the offensive. *Drill Peck* all the way. If you're poisoned or paralyzed, use *Facade* until you've landed it on the Horsea (or on its Substitute, should that be the case), then spam *Signal Beam* instead. Use Signal Beam as well in any event that the Horsea is out of range for your other possible moves, and use it while sweeping around if you see Double Team clones.

*Drill Peck/Facade/Signal Beam ~ Drill Peck/Facade/Signal Beam ~ Drill Peck/Facade/Signal Beam*


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

We've done a fair bit of evading so far; let's try to make sure _we're_ the ones doing more damage this round. Start off with a *15% Substitute* to avoid some of the damage, and then follow through with *Headbutt* If you can't hit him, use *Dragon Dance*. 

*Substitute (15%) ~ Headbutt/Dragon Dance ~ Headbutt/Dragon Dance*


----------



## Eifie

*Round Ten*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 72%
*Energy*: 66%
*Status*: A little miffed at his screw-up. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 84%
*Energy*: 63%
*Status*: Still covered in feathers. Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Horsea is so very tired of this pecking order that her opponent seems to have established. Doesn't Glorisus realize she's not a bird? Jeez... Grumbling to herself, she airswims over to the pile of discarded feathers and covers them with a trickle of water from her snout. And then she realizes the fatal flaw of her plan: how is she supposed to make her own Substitute when she doesn't have any arms? This is a disaster! Horsea glares insistently at her trainer until Sandstone-Shadow comes over to shape the pile of wet feathers into a shape vaguely resembling a fluffy seahorse, which Horsea promptly taps with her snout to infuse it with some of her own life energy. This new feathery friend displeases Glorisus. He must give it a stern peck at once.

Horrified at Glorisus's vicious mauling of her poor, innocent little Substitute, Horsea lowers her head and rams it forward into the Piplup's side with all the strength she can muster. Her opponent goes skidding backward with a startled _squawk_, but he will not be deterred, no sirree! Filled with determination and RAGE, he drags himself forward to jab his beak into the Substitute's side again. The force of his finely-honed beak causes the pile of feathers to collapse pitifully on the deck, and it makes him feel kind of bad. Horsea, meanwhile, is aglow with the FLAMES OF RAGE and the WINDS OF DISCONTENT. With a strangled cry she slams her head into her opponent's stomach, and the impact shocks him so much that all he can do is give the side of her head a half-hearted peck in retaliation.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 63%
*Energy*: 54%
*Status*: Starting to stoke his very own Flames of Rage... Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).
*Used*: Drill Peck ~ Drill Peck ~ Drill Peck

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 64%
*Energy*: 45%
*Status*: Determined. With the Winds of Discontent at her back, no one can stop her! Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.
*Used*: Substitute (15%) ~ Headbutt ~ Headbutt

*Arena Status*

 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 A ring of Stealth Rocks is floating a couple of feet away from the battlers.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 72% - 6% (Headbutt) - 6% (Headbutt) + 3% (Aqua Ring) = 63%
 Glorisus's Energy: 66% - 4% (Drill Peck) - 4% (Drill Peck) - 4% (Drill Peck) = 54%
 Horsea's Health: 84% - 15% (Substitute) - 5% (Drill Peck) = 64%
 Horsea's Substitute: 15% - 8% (Drill Peck) - 8% (Drill Peck) = 0%
 Horsea's Energy: 63% - 8% (Substitute) - 5% (Headbutt) - 5% (Headbutt) = 45%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Horsea (90) > Glorisus (40).
 blugh, sorry, I'm not really in the mood to write right now but the finished calculations just kept staring at me while I was trying to work... (also, I mean, there's not much I can write for so many repeated moves anyway)
 The second Headbutt rolled for a flinch. Since Glorisus has already flinched quite recently, it just threw him off his attack and cost him a few points of damage instead.
 *Sandstone-Shadow* commands first.


----------



## Sandstone-Shadow

Ack, I had more narrative but my browser ate it. Curse you, hungry browsers.

Nice work, Horsea. Sorry Glorisus didn't like your Substitute... next time, we'll do the smart thing and make one not quite so big (my bad!). We'd save a little health and maybe it won't be received so poorly. 

Let's up the stakes a bit. Use *Swagger* and show that Glorisus how confident you're feeling! You're rage! You're fire! He can't hit you! 

After that, keep using your FLAMES OF RAGE! Use *Dragon Pulse* and show him what you're made of.

If you can't hit him in the second or third action, use *Focus Energy*.

*Swagger ~ Dragon Pulse/Focus Energy x2*


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## M&F

Splendid hustle, Glorisus. Now the tide is really on our side, between the short Health gap and all the advantages we set up earlier. We stay on the offensive and give Eifie even more unsatisfactory spam move rounds to ref.

But first, we can't really take that Swagger sitting down right now. Maybe later. Right now, though, you *Protect* against that. Then comes the *Signal Beam* spam.

*Protect ~ Signal Beam ~ Signal Beam*


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## Eifie

*Round Eleven*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 63%
*Energy*: 54%
*Status*: Starting to stoke his very own Flames of Rage... Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 64%
*Energy*: 45%
*Status*: Determined. With the Winds of Discontent at her back, no one can stop her! Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Hmmm... Horsea's Winds of Discontent don't exactly exude confidence. Perhaps she should rename them. The Winds of Cool Beauty? Yes, that'll do.

The Winds of Cool Beauty at her back, Horsea arrogantly airswims up to her foe and tweaks him in the face with her snout. Or, well, she tries. Unfortunately Glorisus has conjured up his own Flames of Rage to wreath his face, and all Horsea gets is a slightly singed nose. How embarrassing... the Winds of Discontent whip back up around her with full force. Cool flames burst into being around her as she takes a big gulp of air and breathes out a pulse of flaming green fire of flaming rage! The Winds of Discontent buffet her attack forward, causing it to slam into her foe with even more force than she could have imagined. Glorisus falls backward with a squawk of protest, but quickly manages to right himself and retaliate with two beams of light from his beak, one red, one blue. The two lights intertwine in midair in a helix pattern, striking Horsea on the forehead and filling her ears with an unpleasant droning buzz.

Huffing with discontent and rage, Horsea unleashes another stream of glittering green flame from her snout, and again the Winds of Discontent pick up to carry it into her opponent's stomach with incredible force. This time Glorisus stays down for longer, nursing both his bruises and his pride. How is this fair?! He, the Dashing Wanderer, has done nothing to deserve the wrath of the Random Number Gods! Obstinately he pushes himself back to his feet and opens his beak again to release more ropes of coloured light his opponent's way. Horsea squeals in pain, shaking her head back and forth as she tries to clear it of the unpleasant noise the Signal Beam brings on, but alas, it has no lingering effects. Curse the Random Number Gods!

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 44%
*Energy*: 44%
*Status*: Becrying his bad luck. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).
*Used*: Protect ~ Signal Beam ~ Signal Beam

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 50%
*Energy*: 31%
*Status*: Smirking to herself, dramatically wreathed in the Flames of Rage. Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.
*Used*: Swagger ~ Dragon Pulse ~ Dragon Pulse

*Arena Status*

 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 A ring of Stealth Rocks is floating a couple of feet away from the battlers.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 63% - 11% (Dragon Pulse) - 11% (Dragon Pulse) + 3% (Aqua Ring) = 44%
 Glorisus's Energy: 54% - 2% (Protect) - 4% (Signal Beam) - 4% (Signal Beam) = 44%
 Horsea's Health: 64% - 7% (Signal Beam) - 7% (Signal Beam) = 50%
 Horsea's Energy: 45% - 4% (Swagger) - 5% (Dragon Pulse) - 5% (Dragon Pulse) = 31%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Horsea (90) > Glorisus (40).
 Sorry for delay, badness, etc. Expect reffings mostly on the weekends from now on. Those should at least be better done because they're not being hurriedly put together so that I can give myself permission to go to bed...
 The first Dragon Pulse was a critical hit (finally). By the way, Sandstone-Shadow, you seem to have forgotten that Horsea successfully used Focus Energy a couple of rounds ago — that's what the "pumped up" bit in her status is supposed to indicate, because "under the effect of Focus Energy" is too long, haha. I think the actual game thing is "getting pumped", but that's kind of weird.
 The second Dragon Pulse was also a critical hit, and would have been without Focus Energy (but with the Scope Lens), anyway.
 *Metallica Fanboy* commands first.


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Eifie said:


> By the way, Sandstone-Shadow, you seem to have forgotten that Horsea successfully used Focus Energy a couple of rounds ago — that's what the "pumped up" bit in her status is supposed to indicate, because "under the effect of Focus Energy" is too long, haha. I think the actual game thing is "getting pumped", but that's kind of weird.


Ohh no I knew it was successful and that's what the "pumped up" was, but for some reason I thought it would stack. Now I know! :D

Aand looking in the ASB database, it very clearly says "multiple uses of Focus Energy do not stack." Whoops.


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## M&F

Mmmf. A setback, but nothing insurmountable. We can still get and stay ahead, Glorisus.

First, as long as you're not confused: land at least one other *Signal Beam* -- keep trying 'til it deals damage (even if it's just to a Substitute), sweep it against clones, you know the deal. Once you've done so: if you've only used one move so far, marinade them with a snappy *Brine* (but use Signal Beam again if there's a Substitute in your way), then follow up with *Agility*. If you've used two moves so far, however, just go for the *Agility*.

Moreover, if you find yourself confused, *Chill* for a spell -- see how much you can do of both lessenning the confusion and restoring your energy -- then get back to your regular schedule of commands, with however many actions you have left.

Anytime there are clones, sweeping Signal Beam takes priority until you manage to use it and clear the clones. If they're Bouncing away from our moves or otherwise out of range for the attack you'd be trying to land, go for Agility instead in the first and third actions, or a plain ol' Chill in the second.

*Signal Beam/Chill/Agility ~ Signal Beam/Brine/Chill ~ Signal Beam/Agility/Chill*


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Horsea, I think we've got enough raw strength yet to take a few risks. Start off with a *10% Substitute* to soak up those Signal Beams, and since your health will be under 50% then as well, steal his idea and use *Brine*. End with another *Dragon Pulse*. If you can't hit him, just *Chill*.

*10% Substitute ~ Brine/Chill ~ Dragon Pulse/Chill*


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## Eifie

*Round Twelve*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 44%
*Energy*: 44%
*Status*: Becrying his bad luck. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action).

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 50%
*Energy*: 31%
*Status*: Smirking to herself, dramatically wreathed in the Flames of Rage. Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
As Horsea basks in her recent success, the Flames of Rage surrounding her grow dramatically larger, a portion of them solidifying in front of her into a FIERY STEED. She boops her fiery steed with her snout, transferring some of her own life energy into it as she christens it SIR FIERY STEED OF RAGE AND DEATH. SIR FIERY STEED OF RAGE AND DEATH snorts and tosses its head as it stares down its opponent, and Glorisus's hurried Signal Beam retaliation is no match for its raging flames. Sure, it visibly shrinks in size as the coloured lights strike it, but SIR FIERY STEED OF RAGE AND DEATH shall not be stopped!

With an approving nod at SIR FIERY STEED OF RAGE AND DEATH, Horsea takes a deep breath and unleashes her own concoction of liquid death from her snout, a torrent of seawater infused with a mixture of her very own sweat and tears. That'll show her opponent, right? Glorisus squawks in surprise as the salt soaks his many wounds, stinging painfully even after his sleek, waterproof feathers have done their very best to repel the attack. The repeated attacks are really taking their toll on him, and it's with a very concerted effort that he looks up at his opponent yet to unleash his most devastating weapon yet... another Signal Beam. SIR FIERY STEED OF RAGE AND DEATH smirks at the boring old attack coming its way, but alas, even its Flames of Rage are not enough to withstand TWO mighty Signal Beams. And so its flames pathetically sputter out, and Horsea begins to wail in despair. Her anguish takes the form of a now-familiar stream of green draconic flame, painfully singeing Glorisus's feathers despite his innate resistance to fire as he hurriedly gulps down his Custap Berry  in response. In fact, a flicker of flame remains on his tail, and he begins scrambling about the deck in an attempt to put it out, squawking in unrestrained panic, aided by a temporary speed boost from his berry. Horsea giggles to herself as Glorisus trips awkwardly over one of his own stealth rocks, but as his mad dash comes to an end, the Piplup's feathers are sleeker than ever, his muscles warmed up and ready to go.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 30%
*Energy*: 34%
*Status*: Panting slightly from his desperate sprint. First in his priority bracket for the next action. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action). _+2 Speed_.
*Used*: Signal Beam ~ Signal Beam ~ Agility

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 40%
*Energy*: 15%
*Status*: Starting to get really tired... Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.
*Used*: Substitute (10%) ~ Brine ~ Dragon Pulse

*Arena Status*

 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 A ring of Stealth Rocks is floating a couple of feet away from the battlers.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 44% - 10% (Brine) - 7% (Dragon Pulse) + 3% (Aqua Ring) = 30%
 Glorisus's Energy: 44% - 4% (Signal Beam) - 4% (Signal Beam) - 2% (Agility) = 34%
 Horsea's Health: 50% - 10% (Substitute) = 40%
 Horsea's Substitute: 10% - 7% (Signal Beam) - 7% (Signal Beam) = 0%
 Horsea's Energy: 31% - 5% (Substitute) - 7% (Brine) - 4% (Dragon Pulse) = 15%

*Notes*

 blugh. sorry this is potentially my like one free moment before this weekend so here you go, I guess
 Speed order: Horsea (90) > Glorisus (80).
 Glorisus ate his Custap Berry upon being hit by Dragon Pulse. It... doesn't really make sense, because that was immediately before his action, so the berry was completely useless. What is even the point of this berry? pls advise
 idk if a Pokémon is immune to its own Stealth Rocks or what... if not, I rolled for it and Glorisus ran into some while streaking uncontrollably around the deck, but who knows how Stealth Rocks actually work...
 *Sandstone-Shadow* commands first.


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## M&F

Eifie said:


> Glorisus ate his Custap Berry upon being hit by Dragon Pulse. It... doesn't really make sense, because that was immediately before his action, so the berry was completely useless. What is even the point of this berry? pls advise


It affects the Pokémon's move in the next action, not the Pokémon's next move. I guess that's not very clear in the ASB description, though...


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## Eifie

Metallica Fanboy said:


> It affects the Pokémon's move in the next action, not the Pokémon's next move. I guess that's not very clear in the ASB description, though...


Okay, I'll edit Glorisus's status to reflect that, then. By the way, is he immune to his own Stealth Rocks?


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## M&F

Eifie said:


> Okay, I'll edit Glorisus's status to reflect that, then. By the way, is he immune to his own Stealth Rocks?


It's not established (afaik) and "while it potentially benefits me in a battle" is probably not a good time for me to establish it, but even if he isn't immune, it should be much less usual for him to trip the Stealth Rock than it'd be for his opponent.


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## Eifie

Metallica Fanboy said:


> It's not established (afaik) and "while it potentially benefits me in a battle" is probably not a good time for me to establish it, but even if he isn't immune, it should be much less usual for him to trip the Stealth Rock than it'd be for his opponent.


Yeah, he rolled really really low. We can leave it out for now,  I guess.


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Nice work, Horsea! Now just a little more.

First of all, you've earned a good *Chill*. Then, if you've got an opportunity to hit him, use *Brine* again or *Swift* if there are clones, substitutes, or he's out of range of Brine. *Chill* if you can't hit him at all.

If you've chilled once and attacked once, *Chill* again in the last action. If you've chilled for two actions, use *Brine/Swift* again.

*Chill ~ Brine/Swift/Chill ~ Chill/Brine/Swift*

yay for boring commands - school takes all the time for fun things :(


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## M&F

Hmmmm. I could swear you could learn Encore, Glorisus. That'd have been splendid. Oh, well. I could be issuing some awful tricky commands, but, I could also just take advantage of my Energy lead and go all out, even if the resulting reffing is going to be awful.

*Brine ~ Brine ~ Brine*


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## Eifie

(what are you talking about MF, the reffing was already going to be awful)

*Round Thirteen*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus*  @ Custap Berry
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 30%
*Energy*: 34%
*Status*: Panting slightly from his desperate sprint. First in his priority bracket for the next action. Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action). _+2 Speed_.

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 40%
*Energy*: 15%
*Status*: Starting to get really tired... Pumped up. _-1 Attack, -1 Special Attack, +1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Glorisus's gloriously sleek feathers GLISTEN GLORIOUSLY as he begins to spout out an unending torrent of salty water from his beak. Apparently his internal water reservoir just never empties, and he just keeps going... and going...

Horsea screams as the Glorisus fountain strikes her, the salty water painfully flushing out her many wounds. Unfortunately she's just too exhausted to retaliate, and all she can do is lie awkwardly on her belly on the deck, eyes screwed shut as she attempts to recover some of her energy while being doused with her opponent's salty mixture of what she hopes is not his own sweat and tears, because that would be gross. An almost-as-gross mixture of salty water and clumpy wet feathers pools on the ground behind her as the attack cleanses her of all impurities, but Horsea is simply in too much pain to even notice. Desperately she retaliates with a blast of salty water of her own, but she can only keep it up for a little while as the Glorisus fountain just refuses to stop. Unable to take much more of this tortue, Horsea resigns herself to curling up in the tiniest horsey ball she can manage, riding out the storm as she takes a few deep breaths to steel herself for the next round.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus* 
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 20%
*Energy*: 13%
*Status*: Gurgling. His Glorisus fountain is starting to run out... Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action). 7 Chills remaining. _+2 Speed_.
*Used*: Brine ~ Brine ~ Brine

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 10%
*Energy*: 28%
*Status*: Sobbing quietly into the gross mixture of feathers on the ground. Pumped up. 5 Chills remaining. _+1 Attack, +1 Speed_.
*Used*: Chill ~ Brine ~ Chill

*Arena Status*

 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 A ring of Stealth Rocks is floating a couple of feet away from the battlers.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 30% - 13% (Brine) + 3% (Aqua Ring) = 20%
 Glorisus's Energy: 34% - 7% (Brine) - 7% (Brine) - 7% (Brine) = 13%
 Horsea's Health: 40% - 10% (Brine) - 10% (Brine) - 10% (Brine) = 10%
 Horsea's Energy: 15% + 10% (Chill) - 7% (Brine) + 10% (Chill) = 28%

*Notes*

 Speed order: Horsea (90) > Glorisus (80).
 (lmao I hate you both and am not even trying)
 Horsea's Brine was a critical hit. The thing for how critical hits works is that the damage is determined from the unmodified base power of the attack, which I think is just supposed to emphasize that it's not affected by abilities and such that affect base power, but it does take into account the doubling by Brine. Strictly by how it's worded, though, the damage is determined by the regular 65 base power for Brine, so I guess I have to do that...
 I think it's safe to say that Horsea is no longer captivated by her opponent, heheh... and also that all this water should have washed away all the feathers covering her, yeah? Maybe I should have paid attention to this before, but tbh I was too tired. It didn't make any difference this round, anyway, but yeah, stat drops are nullified now.
 *Metallica Fanboy* commands first.


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## M&F

Good going, Glorisus. Now, we stall 'til the time is right to finish it.

Open up wide and *Yawn*. If they Protect against it or flinch you, try again. Once it's worked, *Protect* for a spell, and if you still have an action, *Chill*.

If they use Double Team or Smokescreen at any point, abandon current commands and spam *Aerial Ace* for a glorious punish. If you're hit by Swagger, try a *Drill Peck* if it's the first action, stick to the plan otherwise. If the enemy starts Bouncing, do not attack until they've stopped.

*Yawn/Aerial Ace/Drill Peck ~ Protect/Yawn/Aerial Ace ~ Chill/Protect/Aerial Ace*


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## Eifie

Metallica Fanboy said:


> Good going, Glorisus. Now, we stall 'til the time is right to finish it.


WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME LMAO


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Okay Horsea, almost there! Avoid the Yawn and trigger Aerial Ace with a *Smokescreen*, then use *Flail*. If you're still standing, use *Flail* again. This may or may not end in our favor, but I have a feeling the longer it goes on, the less likely it will end well for us. You've put up a fantastic fight; let's go one more round and finish this thing!

*Smokescreen ~ Flail ~ Flail*


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## Eifie

<3 Sandstone-Shadow (I hope you didn't actually take my post that seriously, though; I would've been perfectly willing to write another round after The Great Stall.)

*Round Fourteen*​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus* 
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 20%
*Energy*: 13%
*Status*: Gurgling. His Glorisus fountain is starting to run out... Surrounded by Aqua Ring (1% recovery/action). 7 Chills remaining. _+2 Speed_.

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 10%
*Energy*: 28%
*Status*: Sobbing quietly into the gross mixture of feathers on the ground. Pumped up. 5 Chills remaining. _+1 Attack, +1 Speed_.

------------------------------​
Horsea cannot stand any more of this dreaded seawater. Even her aquatic seahorsey self is sick of it! Clearly some evasion tactics are in order, so she takes a deep breath and... honks. A small puff of black smoke floats out from her snout. Dissatisfied, Horsea honks again, loud enough to be heard miles over the ocean, and this time an enormous cloud of inky blackness erupts from her snout, settling over the deck to force Glorisus into an undignified coughing fit even as it obscures his vision. Rubbing his eyes, the Piplup streaks forward at top speed, cutting a path through the smoke as he rushes his opponent. Sternly he pecks the helpless Horsea in the side with his beak as punishment, and god, Horsea has just had _enough_. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she desperately begins to flail her tiny body haphazardly about, slamming into her opponent with her snout, her tail, her tiny back fin... Even as her voice begins to waver, Horsea refuses to stop. Stubbornly she vents all the fury of the Flames of Rage and the Winds of Discontent against her opponent, every last bit of it, and at the end Glorisus lies unconscious, faceplanted on the surface of the deck for none to see, as black smoke still obscures the battlers and their surroundings.

------------------------------​
*Metallica Fanboy*

*Glorisus* 
*Ability*: Defiant
*Health*: 0%
*Energy*: 9%
*Status*: Knocked out!
*Used*: Aerial Ace ~ nothing

*Sandstone-Shadow*

*Horsea*  @ Scope Lens
*Ability*: Swift Swim
*Health*: 4%
*Energy*: 16%
*Status*: ... Victorious?!
*Used*: Smokescreen ~ Flail

*Arena Status*

 Glorisus and Horsea are on the upper deck.
 A ring of Stealth Rocks is floating a couple of feet away from the battlers.
 There is a large, elongated, smoking crater in the center of the upper deck, through which the lower deck is visible. The floor of the lower deck is covered in various bits of detritus from the destroyed deck above.

*Damage and Energy*

 Glorisus's Health: 20% + 1% (Aqua Ring) - 21% (Flail) = 0%
 Glorisus's Energy: 13% - 4% (Aerial Ace) = 9%
 Horsea's Health: 10% - 6% (Aerial Ace) = 4%
 Horsea's Energy: 28% - 1% (Smokescreen) - 11% (Flail) = 16%

*Notes*

 Since Horsea regained her Attack boost, her Flail did exactly enough damage to knock Glorisus out after he'd regained a bit of health from his Aqua Ring. _Damn_, this battle was close. (If I made a mistake... please let me know, haha.)
 (Horsea probably would have hit herself on the Stealth Rocks while flailing about, but since they only do 2% damage, I didn't bother figuring any of that out. Bring it up if it's important, though.)
 And with that heartstopping finish (too bad we can't nominate this for Nail-Biter of the Year now), Sandstone-Shadow is the winner! She gets $16 and 2 exp and happiness each for Bulbasaur and Horsea. Metallica Fanboy gets $8, 1 exp for Reaper, and 2 exp for Glorisus, both of whom can now evolve.
 Thanks for a (mostly :p) great battle, you two! I hope my hastily-put-together reffings at the end were not too much of a detriment to your enjoyment of the battle. :(


----------



## M&F

Tch, that was a good move. Should've used Icy Wind when I had the chance... Oh well. It's been a really fun match, and I got everything I wanted, EXPwise. Thanks for putting on such a good fight, Sandstone-Shadow, and thanks for reffing, Eifie.


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## Sandstone-Shadow

Eifie said:


> <3 Sandstone-Shadow (I hope you didn't actually take my post that seriously, though; I would've been perfectly willing to write another round after The Great Stall.)


Haha nah, I didn't have enough brainpower to come up with less blunt commands xD

Good game, MF! Thanks for the great fight as well! That was really fun, and a great re-introduction to ASB. I think I'm around to stay for a good while. Thanks for reffing, Eifie!


----------

